Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 74 A good grandson brings prosperity to three generations!
After the imperial examinations concluded, the seven members of the Jiayou family gathered to celebrate Zhang Dun's achievement of being ranked among the top three.

After the brief gathering, all seven of them got busy with their own things.

Jiang Zhao, Zhang Heng, and Zeng Gong were relatively more relaxed.

In a few days, Jiang Zhao and Zhang Heng will be sent to serve as officials in other regions.

For the foreseeable future, the two of them need to work diligently to ensure no mistakes are made and to hand over their work in May or June.

Zeng Gong, a mere ninth-rank official, was recommended to the capital by Ouyang Xiu; it was a waste of his talents.

No one would deliberately orchestrate a scenario to cause his failure to enter the capital!
Su Shi, Su Zhe, and Zeng Bu had to prepare for the final exams, which kept them quite busy.

The final examination was a competition among the junior scholars.

Of the thirty-odd probationary scholars, only about ten could pass the final examination and thus be considered as having entered the Hanlin Academy, and were granted official positions and assigned to compile books for three years.

If one fails the examination for probationary scholars, the treatment of being assigned to a post outside the capital will certainly be better than that of a second- or third-class scholar who is assigned to a post outside the capital, but the difference will be limited.

They were either from the Hanlin Academy or were assigned to a county; the difference in treatment between the two was enormous, a matter of heaven or hell.

Su Shi, Su Zhe, and Zeng Bu were so afraid of stumbling that they dared not relax their guard even for a moment.

As for Zhang Dun, he had already returned to his hometown by boat.

He was one of the top three scholars in the imperial examinations and was granted an official position by the government, a time when he was at the peak of his life.

As a scholar who has passed the imperial examination, one should naturally return home in glory.

Time passed little by little.

June 2nd.

Royal study room.

In the main seat, Emperor Zhao Zhen holds the Book of Han, looking vigorous and spirited.

He had been reading this book for quite some time, and the spine was already worn.

As he moved down a bit, Grand Secretary Pang Ji looked somewhat embarrassed.

"His Majesty?"

Pang Ji looked surprised and somewhat astonished: "Why can't Sima Guang be appointed as the editor in the Imperial Academy?"

Last time, the Emperor tacitly approved the appointment of the person he recommended to the Imperial Academy as a collator, but it didn't happen in the end?

The old emperor waved his hand and put down the book in his hand: "Originally, if nothing unexpected had happened, the position of collator in the Imperial Academy should have been held by Sima Guang."

"Then why?" Pang Ji asked doubtfully.

It is truly suspicious that a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet could recommend a fifth-rank official twice without success.

"Wang Anshi!"

Zhao Zhen said in a deep voice, "I have quite an impression of this person. Wen Yanbo recommended him three times for the position of collator in the Imperial Academy. The first two times, I issued an edict to accept his request, but Wang Anshi firmly declined. This is the third time, and he has chosen to accept."

Upon hearing this, Pang Ji's expression changed slightly.

Wang Anshi was quite like Fan Zhongyan, and had long been a figure in the eyes of the emperor.

In comparison, the people he recommended were indeed slightly less prestigious.

The emperor's favor towards Wang Anshi as a collator in the imperial library was not a recent development.

However, Wang Anshi refused every time.

This year, Wen Yanbo submitted his recommendation memorial as usual.

However, he believed that Wang Anshi would not agree either, so he recommended Sima Guang, hoping to replace him.

Surprisingly, Wang Anshi changed his mind and agreed?
Jiang Zhao was recommended for the position of Transport Commissioner twice, but he was the first to be appointed. Wang Anshi was the official who favored Jiang Zhao for the position of Imperial Academy Proofreader.

It's truly a cruel twist of fate!
"Your Majesty, Physician Jiang requests an audience." Just then, an official came in to announce this.

Pang Ji sighed, bowed, and said, "Your subject takes his leave."

If he fails to recommend someone twice, it's not impossible for him to insist on recommending them a third time.

However, it's not necessary.

Sima Guang was a fifth-rank official, serving as a deputy transport commissioner.

Historically, the Transport Office was responsible for managing finances, transporting goods, and supervising local areas.

The position of Deputy Transport Commissioner was actually one of the most powerful local official positions.

Due to the problems with the official system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there were very few transitional official positions with real power in the local areas.

The Transport Commissioner was a fourth-rank official, and the Deputy Transport Commissioner was a fifth-rank official.

One is the principal and the other the assistant, but they are two levels apart.

Generally speaking, a deputy transport commissioner must first transition from a fourth-rank official position to become a transport commissioner.

However, those holding the fourth rank rarely held any real positions.

Besides the lack of transitional substantive positions at the fourth rank between the fifth and fourth ranks, the pacification commissioners at the second rank and the deputy pacification commissioners at the third rank also lack transitional substantive positions at the third rank, all of which have similar problems.

This is a problem that originated during the reign of Emperor Taizong.

The government was governed by four departments: the Pacification Department, the Transport Department, the Grain Commissioner Department, and the Judicial Commissioner Department.

Initially, there were no problems with the system.

However, as time went on, flaws gradually emerged.

The responsibilities and powers of the four departments are too disparate.

More powerful pacification and transportation offices were headed by officials who either controlled both military and political affairs or had control over finances.

The less important positions, such as the Supervisor of the Ever-Normal Granary and the Supervisor of the Criminal Justice Bureau, were responsible for border trade and justice, and were undoubtedly less important.

Gradually, they were forced to lower the rank of the chief officials of the Changping Division and the Judicial Commissioner to only the fifth rank.

This widened the gap between the four departments, with some official positions being elevated in rank and others being lowered, resulting in a lack of transitional positions with real power. Therefore, if someone wanted to be promoted from a fifth-rank official to a fourth-rank official, they either had to find a transitional fourth-rank nominal position before being promoted to a fourth-rank official.

Either they skip a grade or they skip a grade.

Compared to the former, the transition to a nominal position is undoubtedly too difficult.

During the period of holding a nominal position, it is difficult to produce any political achievements, and unexpected events are very likely to occur.

When a position becomes vacant, people with good connections almost always choose to fill the vacancy with a deputy position.

He was promoted from the fifth rank to the fourth rank in one leap.

Sima Guang held a powerful fifth-rank official position. If he were to be promoted further, he would simply become one of the three positions: Transport Commissioner, Pacification Commissioner, or Deputy Pacification Commissioner.

However, both the Pacification Commissioner and the Deputy Pacification Commissioner were officials of the third rank or above, and even if Sima Guang skipped ranks, he could not reach such a high position.

The only option is for the deputy transport envoy to become a transport envoy instead.

Otherwise, being promoted to a nominal fourth-rank position would be worse than not being promoted at all.

In the path of officialdom, promotion is essentially for the purpose of gaining power.

If one's real power decreases after being promoted, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse and only lead to more trouble?

However, unfortunately...

The position of Transport Commissioner of Shaanxi Circuit had already fallen into Jiang Zhao's hands, so his plan naturally failed.

Alternatively, Sima Guangping could be transferred to the capital and given a powerful fifth-rank official position.

Pang Ji had originally planned this.

From the moment Sima Guang failed to be promoted to Transport Commissioner, Pang Ji went to the capital to recommend him for the position of collator in the Imperial Academy.

As a result, Wang Anshi's path was cut off.

It was June, and the Ministry of Personnel had already issued most of the official reshuffle notices.

Given Pang Ji's status as a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, it wouldn't be impossible for him to squeeze out a powerful fifth-rank official in the capital.

However, Sima Guang was already over forty years old and only held the rank of fifth grade, so his potential was not considered high.

As the party leader, it wouldn't be a problem for Pang Ji to recommend a fifth-rank official.

However, if it goes too far and complicated, it will undoubtedly cause turmoil within the party.

As a fellow townsman of the Empress, he was already labeled as someone who had "become an official through favoritism," which led to his exclusion by some literati.

Of the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, he had the least control over the party.

Compared to the likes of Han Zhang and Wen Yanbo, he is far inferior.

It would be unwise to go to such great lengths just to bring Sima Guang to the capital.

In comparison, it would be better to let Sima Guang continue to serve as the Deputy Transport Commissioner.

If it's just bad luck, then we can only wait and see.

Pang Ji bowed and slowly withdrew.

Jiang Zhao happened to walk in.

The two exchanged a glance, and Jiang Zhao politely cupped his hands in greeting and stepped aside.

"Your humble servant Jiang Zhao greets Your Majesty."

Jiang Zhao walked over and bowed.

"Please sit down."

Zhao Zhen immediately perked up, picked up the Book of Han, and asked, "Jiang Qing, what is the solution to this problem?"

With that, Zhao Zhen waved his hand and dismissed his attendants.

"Perhaps—"

Jiang Zhao stood up and said calmly, "Let the Crown Prince be adopted by His Highness the Prince of Wei!"

The King of Wei was Zhao Fang, the eldest son of Zhao Zhen who died young.

Jiang Zhao's meaning was very clear.

The grandson of the emperor ascends the throne!

When the crown prince ascends the throne, he may posthumously honor his biological father.

How should a posthumous title be bestowed upon the grandson of the crown prince upon his ascension to the throne?

Could it be that they posthumously honored their living father as the Retired Emperor?
Not everyone has the ability of Emperor Taizong of Tang to be unafraid of the intimidation of the retired emperor.

Once one sits on the throne, suspicion between father and son becomes commonplace.

"To adopt the crown prince to the King of Wei?"

Zhao Zhen pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

good idea!
"I resign!"

With the matter resolved, Jiang Zhao bowed.

Just as he stepped out, he saw an official waiting quietly outside the Imperial Study.

This man had a long beard, was thin, and had a piercing, resolute gaze.

At first glance, he looked somewhat unfamiliar.

Jiang Zhao politely cupped his hands in greeting: "Jiang Zhao, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites."

The lean, middle-aged man raised his hand in return: "The newly appointed collator of the Imperial Academy, Wang Anshi, has come to the capital to report on his duties!"

Jiang Zhao nodded calmly and strode away.

interesting!
(End of this chapter)